York indoor football team named Capitals

York's new American Indoor Football franchise selected the team's nickname recently through a name-the-team contest on its website.

Capitals earned an overwhelming victory, according to results posted on the website, garnering 503 votes (49.2 percent). Patriots came in second with 227 votes (22.2 percent), followed by Renegades with 137 votes (13.4 percent), Independence with 99 votes (9.7 percent) and Colonials with 56 votes (5.5 percent).

All of the names, except Renegades, played off York's colonial history, including the city's claim of being the nation's first capital.

York's other existing pro sports franchise also has a colonial-based nickname. The local Atlantic League baseball team is named the Revolution.

Morris (John A. Pavoncello)

"We had an incredible response to the contest with well over 1,000 votes cast and want to thank all the fans who participated. We're excited to have the York Capitals for the 2013 season," said John Morris, the chief executive officer of the American Indoor Football league, on the team's website.

As part of the contest, six fans who suggested the name will receive a pair of season tickets for the York Capitals home games for the 2013 season.

The Capitals are expected to play their games at the York City Ice Arena. The league's season runs from March until June. York's team will join a six-team East Coast Division and play four home games at the ice arena. Some minor upgrades are planned for the Vander Avenue facility to reach a 1,500-person seating capacity.

Two nearby cities already have football teams playing in the league, which is set to start its eighth season. Fans in Harrisburg and Baltimore responded enthusiastically to name-the-team contests there, Morris said. But, in terms of submissions, York has blown both cities away, he said.

"We have never had such a response this quick in that short period of time as we've had in York. It's just been incredible," Morris said a few weeks ago.